Is the CPT part of the European Union?

What does the CPT do?

The CPT visits places of detention in the member states of the Council of Europe to see how persons deprived of their liberty are treated. Examples of places of detention are: police station, prisons, juvenile detention centres, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals or social care homes.

It carries out approximately 18 visits per year. The duration of visits varies from a few days to two weeks, depending on the type of visit.

Visits may be part of the planned periodic cycle (one visit roughly every four years to each country), or unannounced (“ad hoc”) if the CPT considers it necessary to monitor a particularly serious situation.

CPT delegations have unlimited access to places of detention, and can move around such places without restriction.

CPT delegations interview persons deprived of their liberty in private, and communicate freely with anyone who can provide information.

Can the CPT help individuals?

However, information from individuals about allegations of ill-treatment may be of value to the Committee in the context of a visit to the country concerned. Cases should be reported in writing, giving as many details as possible, and will be treated on a confidential basis.

When notifying the CPT of an allegation of ill-treatment, it should be borne in mind that the alleged act:

must have occurred in a place of detention, or while being temporarily deprived of one’s liberty;

Does the CPT deal with all forms of ill-treatment?

No. The alleged ill-treatment must have been inflicted on a person deprived of their liberty by a public authority, in places such as police stations, prisons, juvenile detention centres, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals or social care homes.

The CPT does not deal with cases of domestic violence. The Council of Europe monitoring body on action against violence against women is GREVIO.

What is an "automatic publication procedure"?

An "automatic publication procedure" is set in place when a State makes a general request to publish all future visit reports concerning that State. (The Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe both encourage States which have not done so to adopt such a procedure). So far the authorities of the following countries have adopted an automatic publication procedure: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Republic of Moldova, Monaco, Norway, Sweden and Ukraine.